DIY Vintage Industrial Craft Beer Growler Carrier

Craft beer lovers will be hopped-up about this project. Some may even lose their head. See how I worked a little beer humor in there?! Anyway, on tap for today I’m sharing a project for all of my fellow craft beer fans out there. It’s a handy and attractive way to transport your favorite craft brews, a DIY growler carrier with a vintage industrial look.

I love visiting craft breweries and sampling some craft brews. Dark beers like porters and stouts are my favorites. If a brewery has a coffee porter on tap, chances are good I’ll head back for another visit. But how can you enjoy that craft beer taste at home? Craft beer fans know the answer – a growler. If you’re a craft beer fan like me, than you have more than one growler. My DIY growler carrier is the perfect way to tote your empty growlers to the brewery and back home filled with delicious beer!

The plans for the growler carrier I’m sharing today were inspired by a carrier I made a few years ago. My original growler carrier was made from redwood and joined with dovetails.

Not everyone has the time to hand cut dovetails or has a dovetail jig, so I wanted to design a growler carrier just about any DIYer could easily build. Not only is this carrier easy to make, but it has some really cool features like a dark, malty stain color, drain holes and a vintage industrial look thanks to the aged metal corner brackets.

Have you ever seen funky mold form on the inside of your growler? I have and I have a solution. This growler carrier has drain holes drilled in the bottom. After you wash out your growlers, place them in the carrier upside down. All of the water will drain out and the growler will dry completely.

The vintage industrial look for the growler carrier was inspired by my vintage industrial bar cart and vintage industrial chalkboard shadowbox. The shiny corner brackets looked a little too new, so I gave them a slightly rusty look by aging them.

This would make a great DIY project for yourself or as a gift for the craft beer lover in your life. Let’s get started!

Step 2. Cut the Short Sides. This step differs slightly from than the photographs of my growler carrier. I updated it because the original sides didn’t allow for seasonal changes and it could cause parts of the carrier to crack. Rip about a 12″ piece of 1×6 to 5-3/8″ and then cut 2 pieces to 5-1/2″.

Step 3. Cut the Bottoms. Rip a 12″ piece of 1×6 to 5-3/8″, then cut 2 pieces to 5-1/4″. Locate the centers of the bottom pieces by laying a straight edge from corner to corner and making a mark.

Using a 1-1/2″ Forstener bit, drill a hole in each bottom.

Drill pocket holes in the bottoms in the locations shown below. Note: the left and right sides are slightly different. The left has one pocket hole that will face towards the handle and the right has two pocket holes that will face towards the handle. This configuration will prevent the screws from hitting each other.

Step 4. Cut the Handle. Cut a 1×6 to 15″ and rip to 5-3/8″.

Measure up 11-1/4″ on each side and in 1-3/4″.

At each location, drill a hole using a 1″ Forstener bit.

Connect the top and bottom of the holes using a Kreg Multi-Mark.

Cut the the area between the holes using a jig saw and sand smooth.

Measure up 12″ on each side. I placed a sandwich plate (about 7″ diameter) on each of the marks and traced the edge of the plate. Cut the curve using a jig saw.

Step 5. Assemble the Carrier. Layout all of the pieces and clamp. I also cut 4 pieces of scrap wood to 5-1/4″. I placed the scrap between the short sides and the handle to keep the handle in the proper position.

Place the bottoms so that the bottom with one pocket hole (left) faces towards the handle. Remember from Step 3 the left has one pocket hole and the right has two pocket holes. This configuration will prevent the screws from hitting each other.

Attach the sides using 1-1/4″ wood screws.

Flip over and attach the bottoms using 1-1/4″ pocket screws.

Layout the locations for the corner braces.

Step 6. Finish the Carrier. First I sanded the carrier smooth, then I applied a coat of my favorite dark walnut stain, followed by three coats of my favorite DIY finish. I wanted this piece to have a vintage, well used look, so I aged the corner braces using this aging technique.

Thank you for stopping by to check out my growler carrier. What are your favorite kinds of beers? What are your favorite breweries? Let me know in the comments.

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